Juneau man sentenced to 40 years for recording sexual abuse of 10-year-old
Published 6:30 am Wednesday, June 17, 2026
A Juneau man who sexually abused and groomed a 10-year-old boy, producing dozens of images and videos of the abuse, has been sentenced to 40 years in jail.
William Steadman, 35, was sentenced June 16 for sexually abusing a young boy to produce child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and post the visuals on the dark web.
According to court documents, from March to August 2024, Steadman, manipulated and groomed a vulnerable 10-year-old boy he had access to in his community. He sexually abused the minor and produced 43 images and 63 videos depicting the abuse. He posted some of these visuals to platforms on the dark web. Steadman bragged about his sexual abuse and manipulation of the minor on the platforms.
Steadman was arrested on a criminal complaint in Juneau on Sept. 6, 2024, being indicted by a grand jury about two weeks later. On March 31, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. At the June 16 sentencing, the court also ordered Steadman to spend the rest of his life on supervised release once he completes his prison sentence.
“Today’s sentence holds William Steadman accountable for his depraved, sustained, and repeated sexual abuse and production of CSAM with a young child who had been entrusted to his care,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Protection of America’s children and the prosecution of those who abuse and take advantage of them will always be at the forefront of the Criminal Division’s mission.”
Steadman was previously convicted of possessing child pornography in Alaska state court in 2018, requiring him to register as a sex offender. Following his release from state custody, Steadman began a dark web collection of thousands of visuals depicting child sexual abuse and eventually distributing CSAM he produced of the minor victim. Steadman possessed over 3,300 images and over 1,100 videos of CSAM, representing thousands of additional minor victims.
The court ordered restitution to be determined on a later date. In handing down the sentence, the court emphasized the defendant’s long track record of recidivism and the need to protect the public from Steadman for a significant amount of time.
“Mr. Steadman’s conduct in this case was evil, and his desire to repeat and escalate his heinous offenses garnered a weighty prison sentence to protect the community from him for as long as possible,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “My office has a phenomenal team of prosecutors dedicated to seeking justice against those who prey on the most vulnerable. Anyone who targets Alaska’s children will be found and held accountable for their perverse crimes.”
The Secret Service’s Internet Crimes Against Children Team investigated the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
“The U.S. Secret Service is unwavering in its commitment to pursue predators who exploit and harm children,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Forrest of the U.S. Secret Service Criminal Investigative Division. “We will continue to work tirelessly alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure that anyone that commits these vile crimes is held fully accountable and their victims receive the justice they deserve.”
